Determination of glycemic index value of Naturo fruit bars

The glycemic response to Naturo fruit bar that is commercially available in India was determined against a glucose sta dard in a non-blind, repeated measure, crossover design trial.

Eleven healthy subjects (mean age 37.3 (SD 5.5) years and mean BMI 213 (SD 36) kg/m2) were recruited to the study. Subjects were given Naturo fruit bar and a standard food (glucose), on separate occasions, each containing 50 grams carbohydrate. Blood glucose was determined after overnight fasting (0 hours) and at 30, 60, 90 and 120 min after the consumption of each test food. For Naturo fruit bar, the glycemic index (GI) value was calculated geometrically by expressing the incremental area under the blood glucose curve (iAUC) as a percentage of each subject's average iAUC for the standard food.

The GI value of Naturo fruit bar was found to be 38.50. As per the Food and Agriculture Organization, GI cut-off values are as follows: low <55; medium 56-69 inclusive, high >70. Therefore Naturo fruit bar could be classified under low glycemic food/nutrient.

Considering the widespread consumption of fruits/bars in India, this information is valuable for people who prefer to use low glycemic food which offer many beneficial effects because their consumption significantly reduces the GI of the diets of the Indian population.